Sioux City Magic Club, T. Nelson Downs Ring #24, IBM

11/10/2025

Meeting is CANCELLED for Nov. 30 due to winter weather.

09/29/2025

We had a small but very appreciative audience for Gustavo Raley's lecture to our club on Sept. 27.

06/26/2023

07/03/2022

Next meeting--July 10, 2pm. Topic is ROPE MAGIC. Please bring a 4-to -5 foot length of rope. Details in the newsletter:

12/05/2021

We're going to have to cancel our December club meeting. There is another event happening at the church next week. So, watch for information on a meeting in January.

11/07/2021

When you’ve got 40 minutes, you should watch this interview with David Copperfield. It’s actually part of a lecture series designed for employees at Microsoft, but it’s been made available for anyone to watch. Of course, there’s a little bit of a pitch for Copperfield’s new book, but mostly it’s an interesting insight into his thought process, what’s important to him about magic…etc. I really think you’ll like it:

Microsoft has an internal lecture series called Outside in where interesting people come to talk about cool things they are working on. I got to speak to Mag...

11/02/2021

Sioux City Magic Club member Easton Boettcher presents our club's donations of "Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic" and Justin Flom's "Adventures of a Kid Magician" to Librarian Tami Little at Sgt. Bluff Public Schools.

10/27/2021

We're on our way to completing our magic book giveaway! Our club is putting "Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic" and/or Justin Flom's "Adventures of a Kid Magician" in libraries around the area. Top: Presley Sitzmann and Francisco Ortiz accept books for Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools. Also pictured is Dave Madsen from the Sioux City Magic Club. Bottom Left: Polly Meisner, got enough books for all the Sioux City Public elementary, middle and high schools. Bottom Right: Sarah Boesch and Ethan Villarreal will put their books in the library at Siouxland Christian School. Stay tuned for more!

09/28/2021

Sioux City Magic Club will be donating magic books to area libraries over the next several weeks. The first two donations, copies of the "Mark Wilson Complete Course in Magic," were presented by Dave Madsen from the Magic Club to Reference Librarian Lacey Fullerton at the Aalfs Library downtown. We plan to have books in all the city elementary school libraries, plus middle schools and high schools.

07/31/2021

Our first in-person meeting since the pandemic! Sunday, 2pm at Augustana Lutheran Church, 600 Court St.

02/23/2021

I’ve never heard of this magician, but it sounds like a good show, April 9, 7:30pm at the Sioux City Orpheum Theatre:

The MAGIC of BILL BLAGG LIVE! tour comes to the Orpheum Theatre for one show only! Critics and audiences alike rave about Bill’s interactive magic & jaw-dropping illusions that will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief.

01/22/2021

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4098301076864197&id=176255722402105&sfnsn=mo

To Our Magical Friends...

Dad always said, “The best kind of legend to be is a Living Legend”. But sadly, as of Tuesday, January 19th at 4:40pm, Husband of Nani, Father of Mike & Greg, Legendary Magician, Author, Producer, and so much more… James Mark Wilson transitioned from our earthly existence to the ethereal.

Wishing to be with his family, he shared his love, bright outlook, and ambitions for the future, then he passed quietly, without pain, or a single complaint, comfortably at his home with Nani and his boys by his side.

Mark Wilson, the name by which he is best known, was born in Manhattan, New York on April 11th, 1929, in the loving arms of his mother Francis (Teta) Wilson and father James (Jimmy) Wilson. His parents raised him during the Great Depression and through WWII. By example, they taught him to preserver through difficult times and overcome obstacles with determination. His mother, Teta, often said, “Don’t worry honey, it will be alright.” Mark developed a “never give up” attitude, and learned that kindness, compassion, and love were the most important things in life.

He spent his over 91 years on Earth, sharing his passion for making people happy through the art of magic by blazing new paths to reach audiences around the world.

Mark’s trademark phrase, “Happy Magic” was his and Nani’s sign-off words for countless live and television performances… “Happy Magic” is how he signed autographs… and “Happy Magic” was his own unique friendly and approachable style of performing.

Mark’s creativity, originality, and leadership were based on respect and honor for others. Mark finished on “the right side of magic history” morally and ethically. With his loving wife Nani Darnell at his side, he achieved a longer list of “Historic Firsts” than many dream of in multiple lifetimes.

MAGIC Magazine named Mark Wilson, “One of the Ten Most Influential American Magicians of the 20th Century.”

Mark’s influence is still evident today, as he was so thankful to hear “Mark Wilson” and the Magic Land of Allakazam referenced in the newly released feature film, One Night in Miami.

Whether you know him from his TV appearances, his Live productions, the Mark Wilson Complete Course in Magic book, or one of his many in-person Magic University classes at the Magic Castle, or through one of his many other achievements… Mom and Mike and I are so proud that he brought “Happy Magic” into not only your life, but the lives of more people around the world than he could possibly meet.

"A lifetime of magic has taken Nani and me around the world and helped us make friends everywhere." 
 - Mark Wilson

He is already dearly missed,

Greg Wilson, on behalf of the Wilson Family

[email protected]